Guard and clutch interlock for embossing machine



Oct. 30, 1956 o. GANIO GAURD AND CLUTCH INTERLOCK FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE Original Filed 001;. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-sheaf, 1

INVENTOR OT TO GA N l 0 BY 249 M.

ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1956 o. GANIO 2,763,723 GAURD AND CLUTCH INTERLOQK FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR OTTO GANIO ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1956 V o. gAmo v 2,768,723

GAURD AND CLUTCH INTERLOCK FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lulriuululu INVENTOR OTTO G'ANIO ATTORNEY GUARD AND CLUTCH INTERLOCK FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE Otto Ganio, New York, N. Y.

Original application October 29, 1949, Serial No. 124,457,

now Patent No. 2,705,917, dated April 12, 1955. Dividzeggmd this application January 8, 1954', Serial No. 40 1 4 Claims. 01. 192-134 This invention relates to an improved die pressing machine of the type used to emboss leather and other materials. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for coordinating the movement of the upper pressing die with the movement of the pressing table, the latter being projected forward from under the upper die upon the upward stroke of said pressing die, and being retracted and repositioned under the die on the downward stroke thereof. This enables an operator to feed material to the die without danger of personal injury.

Another object is to provide a safety gate which closes the entrance to the dies when the machine is in operation, the gate, when open, preventing the engagement of the clutch driving mechanism.

Another object is to provide a simple and positive means for quickly adjusting the height of the ram with respect to the lower die table. This is accomplished by means of a novel mechanism carried on the ram itself and operated by a handwheel or other means. This case is a division of my copending application Serial Number 124,457, filed October 29, 1949, now Patent No. 2,705,917.

Other objects will appear from the following detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of the machine from the front, with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, with parts in section, taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the safety gate.

Figure 4 is a detail, in front elevation, of a portion of the operating mechanism of the safety gate, as shown in the lower portion of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail of the spring and shock absorber connection of the follower arm to the lower bolster.

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of Figure 3.

The invention comprises a base of two spaced castings forming legs 10, 10a, joined by suitable bolts 11. Erected on this base are a pair of vertically extending bearing supports or frame members 12, 12a which support a horizontally disposed bolster 13, suitably fastened thereto. The upper surface of the bolster 13 is provided with a reciprocable table 14 having a base plate 15 fastened thereto and which slides in grooved guides 16, 16a permanently fixed to the bolster. A removable die support plate 14a is fixed to the upper surface of table 14. The table is suitably rabbeted at its sides to accommodate the guides 16, 16a, and it has dowels 14b at each corner to hold removable die plate 14a.

At the lower end of the frame members 12, 12a and offset from the central, vertical axis thereof, a shaft 17 is journalled therein. A clutch control rod 19 is also supported in said frame members adjacent said shaft for slidable movement controlled by a clutch control lever 19a, as will be further explained.

Opposite the shaft 17 and at a slightly raised elevation, a shaft 21 is journalled in supports 12, 12a. Above the shaft 20 and more centrally positioned in the bearnited States PatentO 2,768,723 Patented Oct. 30, 1256 ing supports, a crankshaft 21 is journalled, having eccentric bearings 22, 22a, respectively, at its opposite ends.

A pair of connecting rods 23, 23a, respectively, are mounted on the respective cranks 22, 22a, each connecting rod being bifurcated as at 24 to receive the end 25 of a post 26 which is threaded at 27 at its upper end. A nut 28 is positioned on each post 26, and each nut has a reduced neck 29 over which a cap 30 is seated. Each cap has an offset housing 31 (Figure 2) in which a rod 32 is journalled, and a worm gear 33 is fixed on the rod in each housing between thrust bearings. A ring gear 34 is screwed to the top of each nut 28 so as to mesh with the worm gear 33, and the rod 32 is extended beyond one side of the machine to accommodate a control handle 35. A plate 6 straddles the posts 26 and is provided with an opening at each end so that the posts may pass freely therethrough. It rests on cap 30, and is secured thereto by machine screws 36.

Between the posts, two bolts 37, are secured to the plate and are threaded into an upper ram 38 which is bored at each end as at 38a to accommodate the posts 26. The upper surface of eachend of the ram abuts the lower end of each nut 28 and is securely held against the nuts by the bolts 37, so that it moves vertically with said nuts when they are rotated.

A heated, removable, upper plate 39 is fixed to the bottom surface of the ram 38 by machine screws 4%, and a removable upper die support plate 39a is removably afiixed to the lower face of plate 39 in any suitable manner. Controlled heat is supplied to plate 39 by means of electrical attachment plug 41, rheostat 42 and cable 7 4-3, which is connected to plate 39, having a suitable resistance (not shown). The plug 41 may be connected to a source of electric current.

In order to accommodate dies of different heights, and to secure a close and careful vertical adjustment of a male die with respect to a female die, neither being shown, the distance from the plate 39a to plate 1411 may be minutely adjusted or regulated by turning the hand wheel 35 which rotates worm 33 to drive ring gear 34, thus transmitting rotary motion to nuts 28, which in turn is trans lated into vertical motion in the ram 38 through cap 30, plate 6 and bolts 37, and the ram thereupon reciprocates vertically on posts 26, as desired, according to the direction of rotation of the hand control wheel 35. Sleeve bearings for the posts are shown at 44, these hearings being supported in the bolster 13 by means of collars 45 attached thereto above and below the bolster by set screws or they may be fastened in any other suitable manner.

The drive for the press is accomplished by means of a flywheel 50 connected to shaft 17 by a clutch 51 actuated by clutch rod 19 and clutch control arm 1%. The flywheel is belted to a motor (not shown) and drives shaft 17 on which a pinion 52 (Figure 2) is fixed. This pinion drives gear 53 on shaft 20 and causes rotation of pinion 54 on opposite end of shaft 2B which in turn drives gear 55 on the crankshaft 21.

Rotation of crankshaft 21 causes vertical reciprocation of the posts 26 through cranks 22, 22a, raising and lowering the upper bolster or ram 38, simultaneously rotating cam 56 which is fixed on the crankshaft. Raising the upper bolster 33 also raises the upper plate 39 and die support plate 39a.

The rotation of the cam 56 causes horizontal reciprocation of the lower die plate 14 in the following manner: An arm 57 is mounted for vertical swinging movement around shaft 29. The upper end of arm 57 carries a link 83 pivotally connected to the arm 57 and to the reciprocating lower table 14, as shown in Figure 2.

Substantially midway between its length, a short bracket 59 is attached to arm 57 and carries a follower 3 roller 60 mounted at its end to bear against the periphery of cam 56, and rotation of the cam will cause the roller to follow its irregular periphery so as to cause swinging movement of the arm 57 and reciprocating movement of the table 14, simultaneously with vertical movement of the ram, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

The follower is constantly urged against the cam by means of a combined tension spring 61 and shock absorbing unit. The shock absorbing unit comprises a piston rod 62 attached at one end to the arm 57 and at its other end to a piston moving in a cylinder 63, the cylinder being pivotally attached to the front of the lower bolster 13 as shown in Figure 2 and in the detail of Figure 5. Externally threaded collars 64, 64a are provided on the piston rod and cylinder, respectively, to support the spring 61, the collars being threaded to the same pitch as the helix of the spring. One collar 64 is fixed to the yoke 65 attached to the arm 57 and the other collar 64a is attached over the cylinder 63 adjacent the bracket 66. The cylinder is provided with an adjusting screw, not shown, to control the air pressure therein and determine the rate of movement of the piston to absorb the shock which occurs when the follower 60 runs off the round edge of the cam 56 to the substantially flat portion thereof. This shock absorbing unit smooths out the action of the reciprocating table 14.

A safety device as shown in Figure 3 is provided on the machine to guard the operator when the machine is in motion, so as to prevent his hands from being caught in the press while feeding to or removing materials from the dies. A vertically extending post 67, 67a is fixed to each side edge of the guides 16, 16a, respectively, and a shaft 68 is journalled in the upper ends thereof. A hand crank 69 is fixed to one end of the shaft and it carries two blocks 70, 70a, fixed thereto between the posts. A gate 7-1 is removably attached to the blocks by means of machine screws 72, and the gate is offset from the shaft by the distance between the ends of the blocks and the shaft. By loosening the screws 72, the gate may be raised or lowered with respect to the blocks, which will raise or lower its height with respect to the table.

The end of the shaft 68 opposite crank 69 terminates in an eccentric portion 73, and a connecting rod 74 is journalled thereon and extends downwardly along the side of the machine to clutch control rod 19. A block 75 is fastened to the side of the machine to serve as a guide for the lower end of the connecting rod 74. A detent 76 is fixed to the connecting rod, rests on block 75 and projects from said rod to a position directly below the clutch rod 19. The free lower end of connecting rod 74 carries a nut 77 and a compression spring 78 is mounted between this nut and plate 75 to normally urge the connecting rod downward.

Adjacent this mechanism a bracket 79 is fixed to the frame of the machine and it carries a laterally projecting arm 80 to which clutch control lever 19a is pivoted. A yoke 81 connects the clutch lever 1911 with clutch rod 19. It will be noted that as shown in Figure 3, the detent 76 lies in the path of the yoke 81 and between said yoke and the bracket 79, thus blocking the clutch control lever against movement to the left for a purpose which is herewith explained.

When the press is not in motion, the clutch 51 is disengaged and the clutch lever 19a is in the position shown in Figure 3. The crank 69 may be raised to its upper position shown in Figure 3, which rotates the shaft and swings the gate upwardly and behind the shaft 68, exposing the die plates to the operator for any necessary adjustments, manipulations or change of dies.

This rotation of the shaft 68 raises rod 74 to bring detent 76 in-to the position shown in Figure 3, where it lies in the path of yoke 81 and prevents movement of the clutch lever 19a to the left, so that the clutch cannot be engaged with the driving mechanism and the press cannot be made operative.

When it is desired to operate the press, crank 69 must be turned to its lower position, lowering gate 71 over the front of the die plates to prevent access thereto. This action lowers rod 74 by means of eccentric 73 and moves detent 76 out of the path of the yoke 81, as shown in Figure 1, so that the clutch lever may be operated to put the press in motion. It will be noted that the slots 82, 82a, of the gate permit vertical adjustment thereof on its supports. This allows the gate to be positioned so that it will not interfere with the reciprocating table 14 which passes beneath it allowing the operator to place the material to be embossed on the lower die.

Changes in the construction, design and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the construction and operation of the invention, I claim:

1. A machine for pressing, embossing and the like, comprising a frame, a bolster having a die table positioned on said frame, a ram having a cooperate die plate reciprocable with respect to said table and means for reciprocating said ram, including driving means having a clutch; a clutch control arm pivoted to swing with respect to said frame; a clutch control shaft having a yoke pivotally connected with said clutch control arm; a rotatable gate shaft on said machine spanning the opening between said bolster and ram; a crank at one end of said shaft, the other end thereof terminating in an integral eccentric portion; a gate on said gate shaft between the ends thereof and rotatable therewith to open or close said opening; a connecting rod journalled on said eccentric and extending to said clutch control arm adjacent its pivot point; a detent on said rod extending between the machine and said yoke and movable into the path of said yoke adjacent its pivot point to block said clutch arm against operation when the gate is open, said crank being operable to move said detent to inoperative position, out of the path of said yoke, so that the gate may be closed and the clutch may be engaged to operate the ram.

2. A safety gate for punch presses and the like, of the type having a clutch controlled reciprocable ram and a work table, comprising a pair of spaced arms secured to the frame of the press adjacent said ram, a shaft extending across said table and supported in said arms, a gate swingable on said shaft into and out of blocking position across said table, a clutch control lever on said press movable to engage or disengage said clutch, means connected to said gate and movable into the path of said control lever to block said lever against clutch engaging movement when the gate is out of table blocking position, the shaft having a block fixedly supported thereon adjacent each end, said blocks extending outwardly a short distance on each side of said shaft, said gate being secured to said blocks and being offset from the shaft and slotted in the portions attached to the blocks for sliding adjustment with respect to said blocks and shaft.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which a collar is fixed to the lower end of said rod and a tension spring is positioned between said collar and said detent to normally urge said rod downward to keep the gate closed.

4. A safety gate according to claim 1, the height of the gate being adjustable with respect to said shaft and table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,151 Napier May 8, 1934 2,381,237 Wells Aug. 7, 1945 2,407,527 Anstedt Sept. 10, 1946 2,514,271 Wilkins July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 695,949 Germany Sept. 6, 1940 778,252 France Dec. 15, 1954 

